How can our steel production become more climate-friendly?
Salzgitter AG is one of Europe's leading steel and technology groups. We operate our integrated steelworks in Salzgitter on a virtually energy autonomous basis and close material loops by reusing residual material and cogenerated products. We are meanwhile working very close to the limits of what science and technology permits, which puts us among the world’s most efficient producers of steel.
Nevertheless production in our Salzgitter steelworks generates around eight million tons of CO2 a year, made unavoidable by processes and by the current status of technical conditions and the facilities available. In order to lower our CO2 emissions, we want to test out new approaches and research innovative process technologies.
Our solution is green hydrogen!
Under the project name of SALCOS® (Salzgitter Low CO2 Steelmaking) we are working with our partners on the question of how we can use hydrogen in our production to drastically reduce our CO2 emissions.
The concept was developed together with our partners in 2015. It includes hydrogen generation and the conversion of steel production from blast furnaces to direct reduction, initially based on natural gas but later on hydrogen. With a complete switch to direct reduction plants, hydrogen can completely replace the carbon previously required for steel production and thus reduce our CO2 emissions by over 95%. By setting ourselves the goal of avoiding CO2 directly rather than storing it or making it usable at great expense (carbon direct avoidance strategy), our concept is sustainable and sets an example for the industry.
An ambitious project and its first implementation modules
SALCOS® encompasses various aspects that are seamlessly intertwined. For several years, we have been gathering important knowledge for the planned large-scale operation of SALCOS® through various projects. With the WindH2 project, for example, we are gaining important experience in the production of green hydrogen based on wind power. In GrInHy 2.0, we are looking at technologies for the efficient production of green hydrogen. With µDRAL we are initiating the conversion of the blast furnace route to direct reduction plants - and will ultimately be able to drastically reduce our CO2 emissions.
Highlights of the SALCOS® project
SALCOS® is our key to low-CO2 steel production and at the same time a way to secure the future of the Salzgitter steel location and jobs. With this concept, which is of the utmost importance to us, we are also attracting a great deal of public attention. We are pleased about the growing interest in the topic of Carbon Direct Avoidance and the fact that other steel manufacturers are also increasingly considering this approach.
12.10.2023
market STEEL Media
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umwelt.niedersachsen.de
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NDR.de
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Spiegel Online
Wasserstoff, hergestellt aus Ökostrom, ist für die Industrie nahezu die einzige Möglichkeit, klimaneutral zu wirtschaften. Der Aufwand für ...
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Clean Wire Energy
Volker Hille’s passion project could cut Germany’s entire CO2 output by almost one percent. He is head of corporate technology at Salzgitter Group ...
13.11.23 | Press release of Salzgitter AG
First nine months of 2023
Salzgitter AG generates presentable nine-month result despite economic headwind.
